The Long Path Home
by Grounders10
Summary: Waking up in a strange forest is unusual for anyone. Waking up in the body of pony pushes it passed strange into the twilight zone. For someone from Nerima though, it might as well be thursday. When the wrecking crew finds themselves in a strange new world they'll have a long way to get home.


The first thing Ranma felt was the dull throb of a headache. The second was the wet grass on the side of his face. His eyes opened and it took him several seconds to realize that he was staring at the bark of a tree, a large oak if it mattered. As the pain cleared enough for cognizant thought Ranma groaned. The sound was far higher pitched then he was expecting and it took a couple of seconds for his brain to put together why.

'Right, I was in girl form.' She thought as a second more articulate sound made it out of her mouth. "Ouch." Of course more was a matter of opinion.

She tried to push herself upright but found that her legs weren't responding properly. In fact she felt odd, a touch too stiff really, and in a lot more than her legs. Ranma looked down, wondering perhaps, if she had been injured and was simply in too much shock to notice. What she saw caused her to stare, mouth agape, at what she found.

Four long, white-fur covered, legs that ended in what she was sure were hooves greeted her sight. After a long moment of staring she slowly craned her neck around to look at the rest of her body. Where her body; her very curvy and, though she'd never admit it, beautiful body; had been was the almost gleaming white fur covered barrel of a horse. Adding to the strange scene were the pure white wings that twitched as she laid there, a movement that she could feel. The only thing even slightly comforting was the bright red horse tail that she could see.

"What the hell." She snapped as her feet scrambled for purchase in a vain attempt to get away from her own body. All she managed was to awkwardly manage to halfway make it to two legs before gravity and balance caught up with her and pulled her back down to the ground in another heap. A surge of pain jolted through her head as she hit the ground. "Ow, ow, ow." She whined as the pain subsided to a dull pulse.

She took a deep breath before looking back down at her body again. It wasn't large enough to qualify as a horse, more like something much smaller. "Why am I a pony?" She asked the world before a third glance at her pair of wings caused her to revise that opinion, "Why am I a pegasus-pony?" The question lacked the tone of demand most would expect; instead, it was filled with the bizarre mix of exasperation and resignation that only someone who had spent nearly two years of being constantly shape shifted on a daily basis could manage.

After several moments without an answer, not that she had really expected one; she carefully brought her legs under her and managed to get to her feet. She looked down at her hooves carefully before trying to put one foot forward. Contrary to expectation she did not suddenly find herself tilting over to one side. One foot became two and within less than a minute she found herself walking around in a small circle. She stopped after a few circles, properly satisfied that she was more than capable of walking if she needed to.

At the point she looked around. The area she was in was a forest of the type more appropriate of Europe or North America than Japan. The trees were large and spaced quite a ways apart. What light filtered down through the bows of the trees was enough to see by, yet it couldn't remove the eerie feel of the forest. Ranma shivered unconsciously as she glanced up at one of the tree trunks. If she did not know better she would have thought that there was a grinning face looking down at her from the trunk. As it was the fact that ever tree she could see had a similar face formed from the bark scarcely helped her nerves.

"What is this place." She muttered. Her eyes flickered around the wood, trying and failing to spot something familiar. Her wings fluttered for a moment nervously before she steeled herself and pulled her attention from the forest back to herself. 'Why am I like this?' She thought and frowned. What had she been doing before she woke up in this forest? She stood there for several moments before giving up. Try as she might she couldn't recall anything that could explain this. The last thing she remembered was lying down on the rear porch reading a manga. How she went from the Tendo home to the middle of a forest, and as a Pegasus pony no less, completely escaped her.

Ranma sighed and gave up on that mystery for the time being. At the moment she had bigger things to worry about at the moment. Besides, this was probably the fault of one of her rivals or other enemies. She certainly had more than she could count. She looked around the forest quickly, noting, among other things, that there was a noticeable slope off to one side. Water ran downhill so a slope could mean the presence of water, which meant a creek or stream. Perhaps even a river. If she could find that then maybe she could find someone else who might know what's going on and get some answers. Of course that assumed she could find someone who would be willing to work with a talking pony.

Seeing no other alternative she started towards the slope, but she before she could take so much as three steps a very familiar scream split the air. She could feel her ears twitch in the direction of the sound even as her head snapped towards the scream. "Akane!" She shouted, pivoting on one hoof without a second thought and galloping in the opposite direction of the slope. She stumbled over tree roots several times as she ran, but always managed to avoid planting her face into the ground, even when the widely placed trees gave way to dense brush.

She wasn't sure how far she ran but within a couple minutes she reached the location of the scream as she came barrelling out of the bushes and straight into the side of another pony. They went down in a tangle of limbs and feathers. Ranma's head sang once more with pain as a hoof accidentally drove her head into the ground. She groaned from beneath the other pony, which scrambled off her and in the process back-handed her head with a yellow wing.

Ranma blinked back stars as she picked herself off the ground. Her ears twitched as she picked up panic muttering, and several creative curses, coming from the other Pegasus. She turned to look at the pony, noting the bright yellow fur and wings, along with a very dark blue, if somewhat short, mane and tail. The mane colour triggered a degree of recognition in her head and, combined with her own situation, brought managed bring forth a conclusion.

"Akane?" She asked hesitantly.

The yellow Pegasus twitched and looked at her nervously. "R-Ranma?" She asked with a stutter, "Is that you?" She shivered and her eyes, which oddly enough seemed to be pointed forward as opposed to sideways like most equine, jerked around with nervous energy.

"Yeah it's me." Ranma replied softly. Her eyes scanned her fiancée's changed form for a moment. Her eyes came to rest on the side of her flank where an image of a pair of broken cinderblocks rested. While appropriate it wasn't important, just another question to ask about later. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"I-" Akane took a deep breath and her twitching died down. "I'm okay. But… what happened Ranma? One second I was working on homework then…"

"Then you were a pegasus in the middle of a random forest." Ranma finished. She shook her head, and winced at the pain. "I ain't got a clue what happened. One second I'm lying on the porch the next I'm waking up in a forest as a Pegasus with a smokin' headache. Feels like something tried to claw its way outta my skull." She said.

Akane stared back at her for a moment before speaking, "My head's fine. Maybe it has to do with the horn coming out of your head." She pointed to Ranma's forhead.

Ranma blinked. "There's a what coming out of my head?" She asked dumbly.

Akane silently took several steps closer, nearly stumbling over her own feet as she did so, before raising one hoof and touching something on Ranma's forehead. Ranma would have wondered how a pony's leg could be so flexible if pain hadn't surged through her head the moment Akane's hoof came into contact with the apparent 'horn'.

Ranma jerked her head away from Akane and stumbled back, unable to contain a cry of pain as her legs folded beneath her. She just barely stopped herself from winding up on her side again. She tried to blink passed the stars that sprang up even as her vision swam. She gazed up at the blur that had taken the place of her fiancée for the brief moment before her head hit her hooves and she lost consciousness.

 _ **-0-0-0-0-0-**_

 _ **A Ranma ½ My Little Pony Crossover**_

 _ **The Long Path Home**_

 _ **By: Grounders10**_

 _ **-0-0-0-0-0-**_

 _ **Chapter One: Depths of the Forest**_

 _ **-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Akane stared down at the fallen form of what she was reasonably sure was her fiancé. The white furred, and feathered, mare had just collapsed the moment she had touch the odd unicorn horn that was jutting out of her forehead. Judging by the way she screamed the moment it was touched it was probably a lot more sensitive than she had thought.

'Great going Akane, you just knocked out the only person who could help you.' She thought bitterly before carefully stepping forward towards the fallen… Pegacorn? What was Ranma's form anyway? It was like someone couldn't decide between a unicorn and a Pegasus so they just decided to combine the two. She discarded the thought as she reached out and gently gave her fiancé's side a poke with one hoof. The mare groaned but didn't do anything else.

Akane frowned; it looked like she'd probably have to wait for Ranma to wake up on her own. She glanced nervously around the clearing. This was not the sort of place she wanted to be waiting in, not without someone else by her side. An unconscious mare certainly did not count. She shivered once more. Even the air and light seemed dead in this place. She looked up towards the open sky above the clearing where dark clouds gathered. It looked like it could rain any second now, something that would definitely not improve the situation.

She drew her gaze back from the sky towards her fallen fiancé. Her eyes traced the pure brilliant white of her fur and wings, as well as the shining red of her mane and tail. Akane felt her breath hitch for a moment as she realized that the area immediately around Ranma actually seemed _brighter_ than the areas further out. It was as though her mere presence was driving back the darkness of the forest. She took a hesitant step towards her unconscious companion without realizing it. Another step followed and before she knew it she was lying on her belly next to her fiancé. Without conscious thought one wing extended out and over Ranma's sleeping form even as Akane continued to stare.

Loud rustling from the bushes was enough to snap her attention from the pony next to her. She looked up in time to see a brown unicorn, without wings like her and Ranma, come stumbling out of the bushes. He tried to stop upon seeing the two of them, but only succeeded in planting his face into the ground.

Akane couldn't help it as a giggle escaped her mouth. Her eyes swept the rather obviously male pony and came to rest on the mark on his flank. A large red umbrella set in front of a map of…. She frowned; it looked like a map of either a country or a continent but she couldn't tell which. Still though why did that umbrella look-

"Ryouga?" She asked as the stallion managed to get back onto his feet.

"A-Akane? Is that you?" He asked.

She nodded. "Are you okay Ryouga?" She asked as he stumbled towards them.

Ryouga laughed nervously. "Sorta. I've got a headache that won't quit and my legs keep getting tangled in each other." His eyes flickered passed Akane at the unconscious mare next to her. "Is that Ranma?" He asked.

"Yeah it is." Akane replied, looking back at the white mare. "Ranma passed out after I… Well after I touched her new horn."

"Was Ranma the one who screamed the second time?" Ryouga asked as he reached them and sat down next to them.

"It was." Akane bit her lip nervously. "She was complaining about a headache and when I pointed out she had a horn she didn't believe me until I reached out and tapped it… I think it might be a bit sensitive." She glanced over at Ryouga as her eyes went to his horn. "You know you have a horn as well right?" She asked.

He blinked and reached up with one hoof, only for it to be slapped back down by Akane. "Don't touch it." She snapped, "The last thing I need is for you both to be out cold."

"Ah right, right…" Ryouga said, suitably chastised, as he dropped his hoof. He looked down at Ranma and after a moment said, "So… You're a Pegasus and I'm apparently a Unicorn, but what does that make Ranma?" He asked.

Akane looked at Ranma silently for a few seconds. She knew she had heard something about this before in an old mythology text. What was it called when a pegasus had a unicorn horn? Pegacorn sounded silly. Still though she was sure it ended in -corn. Something-corn. What was it? Aki-corn? Abu-corn?

"An Alicorn." She said. When Ryouga looked at her questioningly she elaborated, "I read somewhere that a pegasus and unicorn cross is called an Alicorn. I think it was an old greek mythology text. I might be wrong though."

She looked over at him and he seemed deep in thought. "What do we do now?" He asked finally.

"I don't know." Akane confessed. She looked back up at the sky, which seemed much darker than it had a short while ago. "It looks like it's going to rain. Neither of us can walk straight and Ranma's out cold. I really don't know Ryouga."

"Then perhaps you should leave the thinking to someone else Sis." Drawled a voice as a rather plain looking green pony with a blond mane and tail stepped out of the bushes. Right behind her was another pegasus. She had soft yellow fur and her mane and tail were striped with alternating lines of red and orange.

Akane noted that the ordinary pony had the image of a pile of yen coins on her flank while the pegasus had nothing but bare fur.

"Nabiki?" She exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

The emerald pony snorted as she walked forward with notably less trouble than either Akane or Ryouga. The pegasus beside her showed just as little trouble. "Probably the same thing you are Akane. Being kidnapped and turned into ponies." Nabiki snarked.

The pegasus let out a soft tsk of disapproval before matching it with words. "Now Nabiki you really should be nicer." She scolded softly.

"Kasumi?" Akane gaped at her older sister. The young woman, now a young mare, barely seemed to notice the difference between two legs and four as she practically glided along the ground with unusual grace.

"Hello Akane." Her sister said with a smile before her eyes wandered to Ranma. She stepped around the others and knelt down next to the alicorn. "What happened Akane?" She asked.

"Ranma passed out from pain. It came from his horn." Akane looked worriedly down at the unconscious mare.

Kasumi pursed her lips as she ran a delicate hoof over Ranma's side. "There doesn't appear to be anything broken on this side. You said the pain came from Ranma's horn?" She lifted her hoof away as she peered closely at the horn and the area around it.

"Ranma was complaining about a headache and when I poked the horn he… she screamed and passed out." At the sharp look her sister gave her she said, "I barely brushed the damned thing." She crossed her forehooves and looked away. An angry red blush formed on her cheeks.

Nabiki chuckled softly behind her. "I wouldn't worry too much about it Kasumi. His head probably just sore from having that thing work its way out." She said before a sardonic smirk crossed her lips. "Besides with how long it is Ranma might be trying to overcompensate for the loss of something." Both her sisters groaned and shot her disgusted looks even as Akane's entire head began to turn entirely red, despite the fur. Off to one side Ryouga blushed as well and tried to find something to feign interest in.

After another couple minutes Kasumi rose from her inspection. "The area around the horn looks irritated rather badly. Ryouga, would you mind if I took a look at yours as well?" She asked.

"Uh. Sure I guess." He said and bent his head lower so she could get a better look. "Anything you're looking for?" He asked.

"I'm just checking to see if the same symptoms are visible on you." She said as she poked gently at the area around the horn. From where Akane was she could see Ryouga flinch several times when Kasumi's hoof found a particularly sensitive spot. After another few minutes Kasumi pulled back seemingly satisfied.

"Well?" Ryouga asked.

Kasumi frowned as she took a moment to think over what she had seen. "Well, it appears that the area around your horn is irritated as well. That said it's nowhere near as bad as Ranma. Whatever happened to the two of you seems to have hit Ranma much harder. I'm afraid I don't know if this is serious or not though. Hopefully it's merely a bit of irritation that will pass with enough time. For the moment though I could advise against anything that might result in your head getting hurt. With the amount of irritation visible I have no doubt it would be quite painful." She said.

"Noted." Ryouga replied.

Akane looked up at the sky with worry. The clouds had gotten darker as they were talking. "Not to rush you, but it's about to rain." She said.

Nabiki threw a quick glance at the sky. "Your right. Kasumi help me get Ranma on my back." She said, walking over to the downed mare.

"Are you sure we should move him?" Kasumi asked even as she moved to assist.

"The other option is getting soaked Kasumi." Akane said before turning to her other sister. "And why are you carrying Ranma?" She demanded.

Nabiki rolled her eyes at Akane. "Because I'm the only one around without either wings, or possible chronic fainting syndrome." She brushed Akane's wing off Ranma. "Now help me get him on my back already." With a faint amount of grumbling from Akane the four of them managed to wrestle Ranma's unconscious body across Nabiki's back. A drop of rain struck Akane between the eyes just as they finished. Another struck her wings moments later.

"I think we need to start moving." Nabiki said.

"Which way?" Akane asked as she looked at the virtually uniform border of the clearing. Nothing stood out prominently.

"Back the way Kasumi and I came. I think I saw an old building we can use for shelter." Nabiki said as she put word to action and started back down the way she came. The heavy weight on her back barely seemed to slow her down as she moved through the heavy brush. The others followed in her wake; looking nervously, as they did, at the still rather disturbing face-like carvings many of the trees seemed to sport. They walked through the brush for a while. The only real blessing from the path they took was that the rain, though they could hear it building in intensity, was unable to penetrate so deep. Within a few minutes, though, the brush thinned until it gave way to more widely spaced trees with little vegetation between them.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Akane asked as the rain started to reach down to them. Off to the side Ryouga nervously glanced up at the boughs of the trees as the occasional raindrop splattered off his head.

"We're almost there Akane, just another minute." Her sister replied as she picked her way up the steepening incline. "I'm the one carrying Saotome so why are you complaining?"

"Sisters please stop fighting." Kasumi intervened before Akane could retort.

Akane sighed before nodding. "Fine." She grumbled. Up front Nabiki echoed her.

Silence reigned for the next few minutes as they continued to climb what was turning out to be a rather tall hill. More than a few times they had to stop and wait for someone to get back to their feet when they either lost their balance, or the increasingly wet ground proved too slippery. By the time the edge of the treeline was in sight all of them had taken at least one tumble. Even Ranma wasn't spared when Nabiki tripped over a root and planted the both of them into a small mud puddle.

"It should be just passed these trees." Nabiki said between gasps for air.

"This walk better be worth it Nabiki." Akane said. She was happy to see how much easier her breath was coming to her than her older sister. Her eyes also went to Nabiki's legs, which were shaking a bit more than seemed safe.

"Did you have a better idea?" Her sister snapped back before stumbling over another upturned root. The mare on her back slipped slightly and her attempts to catch Ranma caused her to over balance and topple onto her side, with Ranma on top. "Get her off me." Nabiki complained. __As the others moved to assist a low groan came from the white furred mare. Ranma shifted and her eyes slowly opened.

 _ **-0-0-0-0-0-**_

 _ **Ranma**_

 _ **-0-0-0-0-0-**_

Waking up twice in a row with a massive headache was never fun. As Ranma opened her eyes for the second time she found herself wishing that Akane had had the decency to finish her off. "Ow, my head." She complained. It felt like someone had taken a jackhammer to her skull.

"You're awake, good. Get off me Saotome." Someone growled.

Ranma blinked and looked down at the green mare. "Nabiki?" She asked in surprise.

"Yes it's me. Now get off or I'm adding to your tab." Came the irritated reply.

Ranma jumped up and quickly got off before her debt could grow anymore. "Sorry, but how did I get there?" She asked looking around. Around her stood three other ponies: A brown unicorn, Akane, and a yellow pegasus whose demeanor reminded her of Kasumi. Her eyes immediately went to the tattoo emblazoned on the unicorn's flank. One eyebrow went up at the sight of the red umbrella on a map. "Ryouga is that you?" She asked.

The unicorn smirked. "Did you honestly think something weird like this would affect just you?" He snarked.

Ranma snorted as she stepped forward to face him. "Course not. It's not like either of us live normal lives." She replied easily as the two started circling each other. She felt a smile tug at her lips as she faced her rival. In a way it was nice that he was here as well.

"I think that's enough." Kasumi cut in before the two martial artists could do anything more than size each other up. "Hello Ranma." She said.

Ranma pulled her gaze from the stallion in front of her and gave the yellow pegasus a smile. "Hello Kasumi." She said. "Sorry you're involved in whatever's happening this time."

"Did you cause this?" Kasumi asked. Ranma shook her head frantically at that. Kasumi smiled and said, "Then you have nothing to be sorry for. Now if it's not too much trouble could we get moving again? I for one would like to get out this rain."

Ranma blinked and looked around as she noticed for the first time how damp and wet the air was. A raindrop on the end of her nose served to drive the point home. She shot a worried glance at Ryouga who sent a nervous look back.

"I second that motion." Nabiki complained as she finally made it to her feet. "I'm tired from carrying you up a mountain, covered in mud and in desperate need of some food." Her feet wobbled precariously for a moment before stabilizing. She was not going to fall over twice in as many minutes. Akane stepped forward and cast one wing over her sister to help steady her.

"You can lean on me Sis." Akane said with a soft smile. Her sister hesitated for a moment before grumbling something and leaning into the awkward embrace.

"Where are we headed?" Ranma asked, wondering what had happened while she was out. A throb of pain from her horn caused her to grimace.

"I saw a building up here when Kasumi and I were making our way down to that clearing." Nabiki said. "It should be just through that treeline."

"Let's get going then." Ranma said heading towards the treeline. The trees thinned out rapidly and within moments Ranma found herself standing at the edge of a large clearing. While the ground before had not been particularly steep the ground here rapidly climbed upwards in a steep slope towards a rather grand, if abandoned, castle. Actually it wasn't really much of a castle. It lacked a true outer wall, and the walls that were still intact looked far more ornate than functional.

"You call this a building Nabiki?" Akane breathed as she and her sister lurched up next to Ranma. "It's huge."

"I didn't get a good look. All I saw was the tip of a tower." Nabiki said as she leaned into her sister's side.

"Well, from the look of those walls it'll probably protect us from the rain less than this forest." Ryouga said from just behind them.

Ranma looked over her shoulder at the brown unicorn and had to suppress a smirk at the panicky look he was trying, and failing, not to give the rain that was sheeting now barely feet away. The way he shifted from one side to the other every time a drop of water fell from one of the trees onto him. Feeling a bit impish she said, "What're you worried about Ryouga? I'm the one with a curse and you don't hear me complaining about a little water."

Ryouga scowled at her. "Why should we get soaking wet just 'cause there might be better cover there? That castle's at least three hundred meters out and in case you haven't noticed none of us can walk very well, let alone run." He looked up at the trees they were under for a second before looking back at Ranma again. "I'm just saying if we're going to get wet we might as well stay as dry as possible, for as long as possible."

Before Ranma could respond Akane cut in. "I can see intact rooftops on at least one tower." She said, "Also the main building doesn't look like the roof caved in. We'll be drier if we head in." She shot a curious look at Ryouga who was trying his best not to seem suspicious. He was not having much success.

A piercing howl cut through the sound of rain. Ranma stiffened as the sound crawled across her body. She could feel her breath quickening as her wings rose off her back and her ears stood straight, twitching at any little sound. She looked at the others and saw the same stiffened postures and alert looks.

"What was that?" Nabiki demanded, a touch of fear in her voice as she seemed to be trying to merge with her sister's side.

"That was a wolf." Ranma said as calmly as she could. "We need to move. Now." She said firmly, "We'll be better protected in that castle than out here." She turned her head back into the forest as her eyes danced in all directions looking for the source of the howl. All she saw was a thick grey mist from all the rain.

"There aren't any wolves in Japan." The rising panic in Nabiki's voice was growing more palpable with each second.

Ranma exchanged a glance with Ryouga. They needed to move not sit and panic. "Take them up to the Castle. I'll be along in a moment." He said. The false bravado was probably missed by everyone but her.

Ranma shook her head. "No. You're having issues walking. I'm not. I'll stay and cover." She insisted. Her ears twitched as something in the distance snapped. He opened his mouth to argue and she stuffed her hoof into it before he could get a word out. "Don't care about your little water phobia Ryouga. If won't matter if your dead. Get moving." When no one responded she flared her wings and reared back onto her hind legs. "MOVE IT!" She bellowed. With a muffled squeak Nabiki launched herself from her sister's side into the rain. Akane let out a not so muffled curse and followed her, slipping and sliding all the way. Kasumi shot Ranma a quick look before following her sisters.

Ryouga remained where he was as the other three galloped away up the hill. "You know the moment I run out there I'm lunch for those wolves." He said, "And if they don't eat me Akane will kill me."

Ranma came down onto her hooves and sighed. Her horn pulsed with pain as her hooves touched ground. "Which is why you're going to walk out there, turn into a pig, and I'm going to carry you up to the castle. I'll pretend that you ran off in the wrong direction before I could stop you." She said, trying to hold in a grimace.

He scowled at her. "It's not my fault nothing stays in the same place." He said defensively before sighing as well. "Fine, fine. We'll do it your way." He turned to the open field where water was sheeting down. He hesitated at the edge before turning back to her. "Also, never stick that thing into my mouth again. It tastes horrible."

Ranma rolled her eyes. Trust Ryouga to get caught up on the little things. "Go already. The sooner you turn into a pig the sooner you turn into a pig the sooner we can get moving." She said, as she waved a hoof at him impatiently.

Snorting he turned, took a deep breathe like he was preparing for a dive, and walked forward into the rain. Ranma watched as the rain pounded his mane and fur flat in moments, yet something important was not happening. After a moment of disbelief it clicked. "Aren't you supposed to be a pig by now?" She pointed dumbly.

The brown unicorn looked down at himself for a moment before poking himself in the chest with one mud smeared hoof. His body stubbornly refused to heed to the unnatural urge to turn into a small piglet. "I'm… not a pig?" He asked the world at large as he continued to poke himself in different parts of the body.

Ranma stared as something inside her started pulsing in time to her headache. She felt her chest tighten. "How." She demanded, drawing Ryouga's attention back to her. "How did you…" Her voice failed her as she stared at the most definitely equine form Ryouga continued to sport in defiance of all logic. Or illogic if you weren't familiar with Jusenkyo curses. Water gathered itself at the edges of her vision as her mind leapt through a series of improbable hoops and other tricks to arrive at a completely off conclusion: _He had found a cure_. It didn't matter that he seemed be as surprised as she was all she knew was that he hadn't changed. More importantly to her though, _he_ _hadn't shared it with the rest of them_. Even as he opened his mouth, probably to offer an explanation, she did something she would later look at as really stupid. She tackled him.

The two of them went rolling out onto the hillside, coating the both of them in mud quite thoroughly. Ranma ignored the stinging of tears forming as she rolled off Ryouga. A growled formed in her throat as she came back onto her feet facing him. The throbbing in her horn sped up.

Ryouga scrambled to his feet far faster than she would have liked. "What the hell is wrong with you!" He shouted. "I have no idea why I haven't changed!"

"Liar!" Ranma shouted, ignoring the hitch in her voice. "You damned liar! How long were you planning on keeping this a secret huh?!" She growled and pawed the ground as her wings flared. How dare he keep something like this from her!

"We just turned into ponies. Maybe that has something to do with this." Ryouga shouted back. His foreleg pawed the ground in mirror to Ranma. He wasn't going to back down from this. Ranma growled again and launched herself into another flying tackle that he barely stumbled out of the way of. He ducked an awkward kick from her hind legs before taking a wing upside the head that sent him to the ground again. Ranma wasted no time in pouncing, jabbing on hoof into his side and using another to push his head into the ground. All totaled the fight had lasted less than five seconds.

"Talk." Ranma growled.

"Talk about what? My curse was working this morning! The only thing that's changed is that we're ponies now." He winced as she increased the pressure on him skull. "What do want me to say? That I found something not even Cologne or Happosai know about? That I found some secret spell, or pond, or struck a deal with a demon in exchange for getting my curse lifted? None of that happened Ranma. I haven't found a damned thing that works on a Jusenkyo curse. Just like you haven't." A smirk appeared on his face even as Ranma forced his head deeper into the muck. "Or maybe you just don't want to think about the idea that being a pony got rid of the curse. After all what would that mean for you?"

Ranma flinched violently at that thought. She was female at the moment. If her curse was… No. No he had to be lying. He was trying to trick her. It didn't matter that he was just as bad a liar as she was, he had to be lying. He had to be. Gods her horn hurt. "You think you can just lie to my face like this. After everything…" The pulse of her headache was too much. It was getting hard to think. She glared at him and he flinched away from her. So focused was she on his apparent guilty reaction that she failed to notice the golden sparks falling around them. Several loud howls and accompanying screams snapped her attention from the stallion under her hooves. She looked up and spotted several very large lupine shapes charging up the hill towards the other three ponies. "Akane!" She shouted abandoning Ryouga instantly, taking off up the hill.

Her pulse pounded in her ears as she surged up the hill towards the wolves. Fortunately for her the ground was mostly open with only a few moss covered boulders breaking the ground. Unfortunately for her this also meant that the wolves had little to hinder their progress as they gain on the three stumbling ponies further up the hill. She needed more speed. Her wings shot out on instinct and whipped downward adding their might to her speed. Her speed doubled in a second, then tripled again in the next as her wings took over and her 'steps' became longer.

It almost wasn't enough. Even as the lead wolf reached out to grasp Nabik in its claws, Ranma cannonballed into it at nearly half the speed of sound. The sound of a thousand bowling pins being flung around echoed as the wolf's body exploded into a thousand pieces. Ranma skidded to a stop in between the wolves and the Tendo sisters. She looked around and noticed that while she was covered in mud, there didn't appear to be any of the blood that she would expect from an impact like that. Instead the ground was littered with hundreds of sticks, both small and large.

She turned her attention back to the wolves. Her eyes narrowed, these weren't wolves. Oh sure they looked like them, and definitely acted like them, but wolves were not made from hundreds of sticks seemingly animated against their own will. Nor did wolves have glowing green eyes. They also weren't the size of a full grown clydesdale stallion. Fortunately they seemed as taken aback at her abrupt intervention as she was by their existence. Taking that moment of reprieve she ran a quick count of them. There were five in front of her, and the sticks on the ground probably made that a total of six.

Someone shouted something behind her but the throbbing of her horn drowned it out. The wolves were regaining their composure and had begun to growl as they spread out to surround her. She frowned and backed up, her wings spread in an instinctive warding gesture. She glanced back and forth between the predators as they advanced on her. The one of the far left kept flicking looks over her shoulder at the other ponies as it advanced. The stalemate continued for a couple more seconds before the two just left and right of the center of their line lunged forward with teeth bared. Ranma back winged instantly and rocketed backwards, barely escaping the snapping teeth. As she did that the far left wolf broke from the group and rushed for the Tendos. A snarl formed on her lips as Ranma pushed off the ground and, using her wings to help cover the ground, slammed into the side of the charging pseudo-wolf. Unlike the first one it held together as she crashed into it. Seeing this she planted her forehooves into the ground and pivoted, bringing her hind legs around into a powerful kick that shattered the wooden skull of the creature. The rest of the body simply fell to pieces as whatever power motivating it ceased.

The other wolves were already moving even as she dealt with the rogue wolf. The two wolves from before lunged after her. At the same time other two powered forward towards the sisters. Ranma ducked under the first wolf before leaping up and over the second. As she passed by she lashed out of with a kick that connected with one of its back legs. The sound of shattering wood went unheard over the thundering pulse in her head. She charged up the hill, easily catching the two other wolves. She ducked a wild swipe from the first before retaliating with her own. Her hooves shattered wood and sent the pieces flying down the hillside. The wolf stumbled as its right foreleg shattered and Ranma wasted no time in crushing its skull underhoof. She leapt over its body and continued pursuit without slowing down.

The last wolf had almost reached the others when she slammed into its hind legs, blowing out both of them in the same instant. The wolf went into an uncontrolled roll that took it passed the three ponies and into a rather large chunk of shattered masonry. Before it could try and pick itself back up Ranma's hoof shattered its skull. The sticks that made up its body fell into a heap beside the stone.

Ranma's breath came to her in short gasps as she looked around. The three Tendos were looking at her in relief, while the last two wolves were further down the slope. From what she could make out one of the wolves was circling the other protectively. Well at least they weren't attacking. She turned to look at Akane and caught her mouth moving. Ranma tilted her head quizzically as her pulse continued to thunder in her ears. Why couldn't she hear what Akane was saying? Her headache pulsed again, stronger than before. She cried out and brought one hoof to her head as the pain grew in time with the pulses. She looked up at the Tendos. Why were they backing away nervously. Why… Why were there golden sparks falling around her? As she watch through pain blurred vision one of the sticks on the ground was struck by a spark and promptly turned into a bright red squeaky toy carrot. Another spontaneously caught fire, while a third grew into a small oak sapling.

She tried to back away from the sparks only for them to follow her. She stumbled as another pulse of pain and… something else wracked her body. Before her panic could grow further though a pair of piercing howls cut through the pain and silence. Everypony on the hillside turned to look at the pair of wolves. A green glow had erupted around both of them as they sat howling at the cloud covered sky. The glow spread up and down the hillside, seeping into the thousands of scattered sticks from the battle. The sticks glowed and towards the two wolves. As the sticks approached the two wolves exploded into their component parts. Despite this the howling continued. The sticks joined together, merging into an ever larger mass of wood and green light. The howling merged into a singular, much deeper, as the sticks took on the form of a massive wooden wolf the size of a small house.

Ranma gaped up at the beast in horror. This was bad. Really, really bad. She looked over at the others. Nabiki, Kasumi and Akane seemed dumb struck with horror. Far down the hillside she could see what looked like Ryouga trying to limp his way up the hill towards them. Her head pulsed with pain and… she didn't know what but something was there. Her visions wavered with the pulse but she pushed passed it. Ryouga was next to useless at the moment and there was no way in hell Akane could fight something like this, which meant she would have to do it. Again.

Ranma charged down the hill trailing golden sparks all the way. There was only way to deal with something like this, and it would require her to get up close and personal with the monster. The howl died away as the creature turned its attention towards the Tendos and took one earthshaking step forward. Seeing where its gaze was going Ranma shouted something at it. At least she knew she opened her mouth. Whether what came out was words or not was beyond her at that moment. Whatever it was it served to get the creature's attention. With a roar of anger it lunged for her and she barely managed to stay out of its claws. She shouted something else at it as she continued dodging it, drawing the beast into an ever tightening spiral. She just hoped that the sparks she was continuing to give off wouldn't ruin what she was attempting.

In all it took less than a minute, though it felt like hours, to lead the monster wolf into the center of the spiral. As she stepped into the center she looked up at it with a mud caked grin before throwing a single punch straight up. The Wolf froze in mid lunge. Everything froze. For a single instant all was silent and still, from the rain to the pulse that had been thundering in her head for the past several minutes.

"HIRYU SHOTEN HA!" She shouted, her voice cutting through the silence as she stood poised beneath the giant.

Then it was over as another pulse thundered through her head and into the rest of her body. Liquid fire surged through her veins burning agony into every muscle, from the tip of her tail to the end of her muzzle. Abruptly the feeling reversed as all the pain and fire flowed back through her body and straight into her horn. The air quivered from stillness back into a storm, and then into something far more. A wind more powerful than anything she had ever experienced sprung up around her. It pulled at her wings, tugged at her mane, and dragged her hooves from the ground even as it tore the wooden wolf to shreds. The last thing she saw was a glimmer of golden light before consciousness fled. Her sight was consumed by whiteness as a feeling of dead cold spread across her body.

 _ **-0-0-0-0-0-**_

 _ **Celestia**_

 _ **15 Minutes Earlier**_

 _ **-0-0-0-0-0-**_

On most days split pea soup and dandelion sandwiches would be a pleasant, if simple, meal. Most days were not today. Celestia stared at the soup bowl a spoon floating in her telekinetic grip before dropping back to the table with a thump. She sighed.

"Is something the matter Sister?" Enquired her companion.

Celestia looked across the small table of the private dining room at her sister. The dark blue alicorn looked back at her with worry even as she took a bit from her own sandwich. "My appetite seems to have abandoned me today Luna." She replied.

Her sister snorted. "That much is obvious dear sister. But why hath it done so? What worries you this day?" She took another bite of the sandwich.

Celestia did not answer, instead merely turning her head to look out towards the small balcony that dominated one end of the room. The view was rather impressive, showing much of the city of Canterlot and the wide, sweeping plains that spread out almost as far as the eye could see. Well at least until they met the forest of the Everfree.

The look was enough for Luna. "Thou worry for thine student. Sombra may be a formidable opponent, but she and her friends shall be more than a match for the blaggard." She said around yet another bite of food.

"I am not worried about Twilight and her friends. I have faith in her abilities, otherwise I would not have sent her." Celestia said. Truth be told she was worried just a touch, but it was not that worry which had robbed her of her appetite. "No Luna it's something else that is depriving me of my appetite. Tell me have you sensed anything odd today?"

Luna quirked an eyebrow in her direction. "Strange? Other than your lack of appetite it hath been a normal day." She replied before having a spoonful of soup. "Are you sure your hunger hath abandoned you sister? The soup is quite delicious today."

Celestia looked out the window in thought for a few seconds. "The air feels charged with magic today Lulu. More so than usual." She clarified when her sister raised an eyebrow at her statement.

"It is the week of exams at thy school. Perhaps it is from there you sense it?" Luna suggested.

Celestia shook her head. "No. This is far beyond what my school could ever hope to produce… This feeling is familiar though. I've experience it before, if only I could remember where…"

Luna's set her spoon down with a clank in the now empty bowl. "An old enemy perhaps? A foe from ages long past?" She asked, concern evident in her voice.

Again Celestia shook her head. "I doubt it. It lacks the madness of Discord, or the cruelty if Tirek. No, this force is… Different. It reminds me of when Cadance ascended actually. Power, undirected and barely controlled." She caught the look of suspicion in her sister's eyes. "The odds of a second pony becoming an alicorn in just over a decade are remote at best."

"Yet not impossible." Her sister pointed out before closing her own eyes. Celestia felt her sister's magic spread out into the world around them. "Yes, I sense it now as well. There is something… Like a charge in the air? A light that is just over the horizon? I'm afraid it is difficult to ascertain a direction."

The solar diarch nodded in agreement. "That fits with my assessment. It appeared several hours ago from nowhere. I haven't been able to do more than determine it comes from the south somewhere."

"From the direction of the Everfree?"

"If not further. Not everything like this has to involve the Everfree." Celestia pointed out before rising from her cushion and stepping out onto the balcony. Seconds later her sister joined her.

"Be that as it may Sister, there is still something there, and if it is from the south than the Everfree is the most likely place."

"Or it could originate in the badlands."

"Do you tr-" Whatever Luna intended to say was cut off as a pulse of magic struck their senses. Celestia felt an electric tingle run down her horn and out through both her wings and hooves. She suddenly tasted cherry on her tongue. She looked down at her younger sister the moment she recovered. The younger alicorn's wings and ears were both pointed stiffly upward and her eyes were wide in shock, staring blankly off into the distance.

"Luna are you okay?" She asked. After a few moment where her sister stood stock still without moving a muscle she reached out and tapped her on the nose. "Sister are you-"

"Tia. Look." Luna pointed out into the distance.

"What are you talkin-" Before Celestia could either finish her sentence or look the dark blue glow of her sister's magic sprang up about her muzzle and jerked her head in the direction of the Everfree. As the magic holding her jaw disappeared it fell open in shock. In the far distance, in the middle of the Everfree forest, was a massive tornado that appeared to be well over a mile wide and reached all the way into the sky.

"Do thou think that perhaps that might be the source of the power you felt sister?" Luna asked, her voice far too calm in Celestia's opinion.

"If that were the case we would have seen it before." Celestia pointed out. "I suspect who ever created it is probably the source." She spread her wings and prepared her magic. "Whatever the cause this situation is far too great for the guard to handle. Inform the guard of the situation and then join me."

Luna started. "Join you? You are heading out there?"

"You can feel the power of that tornado even from here, Luna. That amount of power is beyond what ordinary ponies can manage. No, we will have to deal with it ourselves." Celestia pointed out.

"As you say sister. Be careful until I arrive." Luna said with a smile.

"Always Lulu. Always." With a thought, and a little bit of magic, Celestia disappeared in a wink of golden light.

 _ **-0-0-0-0-0-**_

 _ **Celestia**_

 _ **-0-0-0-0-0-**_

 __The wind of the tornado was the first thing Celestia noticed as she winked into existence above the Everfree forest. It snapped her mane to the side in the same instant that it caught her wings. She staggered in the air as the tornado tried to pull her in, and her wing's beat hard to pull her out. With some effort she managed to get some distance from the wind funnel and examine the area.

She looked around at the area and frowned as she recognized the area near her and Luna's old castle. Rain and tree branches lashed at her as she circled the dark funnel. On the far side she found the crumbling ruins of the castle, no worse off than they had been two years earlier when she had last had reason to come here.

'Why would someone create a tornado here?' She wondered. It made no sense, certainly it hadn't been done to cause damage. The castle held no real value anymore and the everfree was hardly something that ponies would be worried for. She turned her attention from the castle to finally examine the tornado. Extending her senses, both mystic and mundane, she examined the tornado's very construction. She recognized the fragmented and incomplete spell matrix that served as the base for the tornado. It was a common spell formation that pegasi instinctively used when first attempting to manipulate the weather. What was strange were the two other matrices that were inter-woven into it. The first was certainly unicorn in origin; again it appeared to be an instinctive attempt to manipulate the weather, though it showed signs of being intended for containment rather than creation like the first. The last though, it was certainly different from anything Celestia had seen before. Were it not for the fact earth ponies made no use of spell matrices she would have sworn that an earth pony had been involved. The spell was the most coherent of the three and it was pulling energy from the surroundings and channeling it into the storm funnel.

While she dissected the unusual tornado her eyes examined it and the ground near its base for any signs of why it had been conjured. All she could see though were broken branches and prodigious amounts of dirt, mud and leaves. As she finished her examination of the tornado, in the process getting far more questions than answers, a faint glimmer of red caught her eye. Moments later she spotted it again as an object of some kind whipped by once more. Lighting her horn she grabbed it in her telekinesis as it flew by a third time, and she pulled it to her. Whatever it was, was covered in mud, leaves and what appeared to be red hair. Her heart skipped as she caught sight of white feathers mixed in with the muck and hair. The pieces clicked together as she realized she was holding an unconscious pony in her grip. Her eyes traced up the young mare's neck to her head where a gleaming white horn was just visible beneath the muck that was plastered to it.

"An alicorn." She breathed in shock before the side of her mouth twitched upwards in a small smile. "It would appear I own lulu an apology then." She looked back up at the tornado and nodded once. It was rather obvious where the tornado came from now. She caught a few of the branches flying by in her grip and brought them close to examine. Deadwood, in fact it was magic-tainted deadwood. Timberwolves had been involved then. She flared a horn and cast a failsafe spell she knew well from having to fix mistakes at her school. The golden magic rolled out from her in a gentle wave and dissipated the tornado as it passed. In moments dirt, branches and leaves fell back to the ground and she was left floating above the castle, holding an unconscious alicorn, in the rain.

After a moment spent searching for a spot to land Celestia descended softly down to the gate of the castle, the alicorn floating close to her side. As she came closer she spotted the green head of a pony sticking out from the edge of the doorway. The pony, a mare by all appearances, ducked back down the moment she noticed Celestia. 'Odd, most ponies are quite happy to see me.' She thought as she landed mere feet from the door.

"Hello, is everyone alright?" She called.

"We-" A voice started before the what sounded like a scuffle broke out as the voice was cut off.

Celestia sighed. These ponies seemed rather strange, and oddly enough did not seem to recognize her. As the sounds of a scuffle continued she smiled softly. It had been quite a while since she had gone unrecognized. 'Well these ponies don't seem to recognize me in the least, and they seem to be quite eager to hide. Perhaps I should introduce myself then.' She stepped over the rubble that impeded part of the doorway and into the covered walkway that encircled the courtyard. Off to the side she spotted the struggle. Two ponies, one earth and one pegasus, were on the ground wrestling, the earth pony's hooves covering the pegasus' mouth. She recognized the green fur of the earth pony as the one who had been looking.

"I will not hurt you if that's what you're worried about." She said, picking the two of them up with her magic and separating them. The two ponies bobbed upside down in her magic grip. The blue-maned pegasus scowled at the green furred earth pony.

"What the hell did you do that for Nabiki?" The pegasus demanded.

"You yelled! What was I supposed to do, let you get us in trouble?" The earth pony snarled back.

"You were the one who was spotted. She already knew we were here. No point trying to hide it." The pegasus turned her head away from her companion with a snort. Behind her a third pony, also a yellow pegasus, was trying to hide herself in an alcove down the hall.

Celestia sighed. "If I set you two down will you behave?" She asked calmly. The yellow pegasus nodded but remained otherwise silent. The earth pony squeaked before nodding frantically in agreement. Celestia set both down gently before looking around the covered walkway for a place to put the alicorn she still carried. A spot that was hopefully somewhat dry and clean. Not finding anywhere that fit the criteria she cleared a spot next to her with a quick spell and put the alicorn down gently.

"Ranma!" The pegasus cried before rushing over to the mud-covered pony's side. Only Celestia's hoof kept her from throwing herself onto the smaller alicorn.

"I take it you know her then?" Celestia asked, keeping her tone of voice calm and gentle so as to keep the smaller pony as calm as possible.

The Pegasus nodded frantically as she took in the sight of her friend. "Yes. She… She was fighting that giant wolf thing." The pegasus fell back onto her rear and looked up at the alicorn. "Will she be alright?" She asked. Tears were gathering in the corner of her eyes, threatening to fall at any moment.

Celestia smiled and said, "Give me a few moments to examine her. I promise I will help as best I can." The pegasus nodded back tearfully as the Princess turned her attention back to the battered alicorn. As she used her magic to strip away the mud and other detritus that had gotten into Ranma's mane and coat she noticed the other pony's trying to get a better look at what we was doing. She ignored them as best she could; instead she focused on assessing the damage to her patient.

'No broken ribs or other bones for that matter. A number of cuts and scrapes, but nothing a quick healing spell can't fix. Her body seems to have suffered a great deal of magic overload recently.' She thought as continued to scan the alicorn with her magic. As she began scanning her patients head something jumped out at her. 'Inflammation around her horn. Microscopic cracks running the length of it as well. That combined with the tornado I saw outside suggests an explosive release of magic that appears to have forcibly cleared a blockage of some sort from her system. Magical overload combined with a restricted magic flow perhaps? No, the damage looks too explosive for that. A complete blockage then. Strange to see something like this outside of a young unicorn.' She looked away from her patient as she thought the evidence over, only to see something even stranger. The three other ponies were sitting in a line next to her, each one staring at the young alicorn with looks that were both longing and suggested their owners were only half there.

Celestia looked back at her patient with a touch of confusion. While the you alicorn was beautiful with a pure white coat that still managed to shimmer and gleam in the dim light of the walkway, and a pure red mane that flowed in rippling- Celestia blinked and checked her thoughts as she realized what she was seeing. 'An Aura. Of course she has one. It appears to be weaker than mine, but almost as strong as Cadance's. This could be an issue since it doesn't appear to be under her control fully.' She turned to the other ponies and cleared her throat. Loudly. All three jumped and looked around wildly in alarm. The two Pegasi calmed once they realized what had happened. The earth pony stumbled quickly behind her two companions in an effort to put them between her and the Princess. "Are the three of you alright?" Celestia asked.

"I'm fine." The Blue-maned pegasus said, the other pegasus echoed her. Their earth pony companion huddled closer but manged to chirp, "Fine."

Celestia smiled. "Good. You will be pleased to hear your friend is mostly fine. Aside from some reparable damage to her horn, and some minor magical stress to her body, she should be all healed up in a couple of days. I will have to insist on getting someone to look at her horn before she tries to do anymore magic however." She said.

The blue and yellow pegasus before her frowned. "What magic? Is that what you did to clean Ranma off?" She asked.

'And another inconsistency. They do not recognize me, and they do not know what magic is. At least not unicorn magic. Perhaps it is time to get some answers.' Celestia thought. She looked down at the younger pony, the same pleasant smile on her face as before. "Tell me little ones, where is it you come from that has not only not heard of me, but which has no magic?" She asked in a somewhat less gentle tone.

The three ponies traded pensive looks before the earth pony spoke up. "Earth. We're from earth." She said softly.

"Nabiki?" The pegasus she'd been fighting with said nervously.

"It's okay Akane. I think she already suspects we're not from around here." Nabiki said.

"No, you're making it sound like we're not on earth. Why would you think that?" Akane demanded.

The green earth pony snorted as Akane backed away from her. "It's obvious isn't it? This forest is full of living wooden wolves, and if she isn't important around here I'll eat my tail." Nabiki said pointing at Celestia.

"Oh I wouldn't suggest doing that Nabiki. It would be quite painful… And probably make you sick." The other pegasus said in a light tone that was rather at odds with her words.

Nabiki sighed. "I'm not actually going to do it. It's a figure of speech."

"Sure it is. Just because you don't like having a tail now doesn't mean you need to do something stupid about it." Akane snarked.

'A tail now?' Celestia thought as another puzzle piece slipped into place. She looked back down at Ranma. 'Interesting. That could explain quite a bit.' "Tell me, if you weren't ponies before, what were you?" She asked, her tone deceptively light.

"Human." Came a deeper, and male, voice from the doorway. Celestia looked over and spotted a brown unicorn stallion as he limped into the walkway. He was favouring back left leg as he walked and his coat the thick with debris from the whirlwind.

"Ryouga!" Akane shouted, "Your alive… What happened to your leg?"

He looked down at the leg with a frown before looking back at her. "I took a branch to the side when that tornado picked up. I got slammed into a tree and twisted my ankle. I'm fine otherwise" He smiled back at her. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." He turned to Celestia, "We're supposed to be human. I don't know what happened but we all woke up in the forest today with no idea how we got here." He sat down gingerly. "So… Who are you and how did you know to come here?" He asked.

"Ryouga. Can you not offend her?" Nabiki asked wearily.

Celestia chuckled. "Do not worry. If all it took to offend me was a simple question I would have never lasted as long as I have." She said before straightening up. She allowed a smidgen of power to leak out into the air around her. Their eyes snapped to her as the force of her presence drew their attention. The air warmed and the heat caressed those closest to her causing them to huddle even closer as the water that soaked them evaporated. "I am known by the Griffins as the Dawnstar, by the Zebra as She Who Walks In Fire, and the dragons whisper stories of Ignis Stellam. But to you my little ponies. To you I am Princess Celestia of the Principality of Equestria." The aura of power faded, but the heat remain, as she withdrew the sliver of power she had released. "I came when I sensed the tornado that your companion summoned. I have come to help. Whoever you might have been before matters not, for so long as you walk under my sun you shall be protected, so long as you aid and protect those around you in turn."

Celestia felt, rather than saw, her sister's power flair up in the courtyard behind her. "Well said Sister." Her sister's voice boomed out as she landed. The ponies around her looked at the new arrival with surprise while Celestia felt her mouth twitch into a smile.

"Just as thou shalt be protected by my sister, so shalt thee be protected under my moon as well. Thou can call me Princess Luna, also of the Principality of Equestria." The darker alicorn declared as she left the rainy courtyard and joined them in the covered walkway. "Tis' quite a bit wetter hereabouts than in Canterlot, Sister." She said as she sat down next to her sister.

"That is it Luna. I take it you were listening in?" Celestia asked with a smile.

"Of course. T'would be a problem if I were to miss something so important." She replied.

"Who are you people?" Nabiki demanded as she scrambled back from the both of them, her brain having seemingly rebooted finally.

"She does not listen well does she sister?" Luna said with what Celestia could tell was amusement. "Dig the water out of thy ears young filly and perhaps you will actually be able to hear someone when introduces themselves. In any case, I do believe it is thy turn to introduce thyself." She pointed at Akane. "Speak up child, tell us your name."

"W-Well… Um…" Akane stammered as she stared at the hoof that hovered outstretched barely an inch from her muzzle. "I'm… I'm Akane Tendo. Heir to the Tendo School of M-Musbestu Kakuto Ryu."

Celestia shook her head as she chuckled shook her head. "Perhaps a softer touch lulu?" She suggested.

"This is soft." Her sister replied with a mild blush as she lower her hoof. "Though perhaps thou are right. Thy have always been better at this than I."

"Their names do not matter Luna, nor does their origin." The older alicorn said. She looked over the dry, though still dirt-covered, ponies around her. "You are tired, your friend is in need of medical attention, and you have no place to go. Until this situation is sorted I offer you room and board in Canterlot Castle." The ponies exchanged looks before retreating off to one side in a huddle. The whisper of conversation, too quiet to discern the words, reached her ears.

"Room and board? They are strangers Tia. We know nothing of who they are." Luna whispered in her ear.

"We offered them protection Luna." Celestia pointed out. "Besides their companion is an alicorn. Courtesy demands we offer her companions protection as well."

Luna hesitated briefly before nodding in agreement. "Thou are right of course. Familiar faces will help when she awakens." Celestia noted the wariness that lingered in her sister's voice.

"What is it about them that disturbs you so?"

The dark blue alicorn shook her head. "They admit freely to not being ponies. More importantly to having never have even heard of ponies. Tis' somewhat strange. Disquieting truthfully." She admitted.

"I have been to other worlds before. Some have nothing to do with ponies." Luna looked at her sister in surprise. Celestia smiled back mysteriously. "I spent a great deal of time during your absence just trying to… move on I suppose you could say. Starswirl had to intervene at one point I am sad to say."

Luna looked away and down. "I-I'm sorry…."

"Do not be sorry again lulu." Celestia said, leaning over to nuzzle her sister. "That time is long past and you are back with me once more. All is forgiven sister." The younger alicorn blushed faintly before returning the gesture.

"Thank you Tia." She whispered.

"We- we aren't interrupting anything are we?" Akane asked, breaking through their discussion.

Celestia lifted her head from her sister and looked over to the yellow pegasus. The other ponies stood a couple feet behind her. "No. Nothing too important anyways. You have come to a decision then?" She asked.

Akane nodded. "We'd like to take you up on that offer if possible." She said, hesitating briefly before continuing, "We really don't have anywhere to go right now."

The white alicorn smiled before beckoning them close. "Gather 'round then, and I will teleport us all to Canterlot." She said. The ponies stepped close, to the point where they were almost touching her. Celestia nodded once before gathering her magic once more, and with a flash of gold they disappeared from the deserted castle.


End file.
